Gossip Should Have No Friends

[October 24th, 2007] HEATH WHO? Brokeback Mountain ’s Michelle Williams , back in town reshooting scenes from her hush-hush indie project Train Choir , is said to be shacking up at the million-dollar home of steel tycoon Howard Hedinger (a.k.a. WW ’s No. 2 Hydro Hog). Williams made a rare public Portland appearance, and a bit of a buzz, Saturday night when she joined the much-older Hedinger at the Wet Nose Soiree , a benefit for DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital that raised more than $200,000, a new record for DoveLewis. Another brow-raiser came when local radio and TV personality Nicolle Camarata , (Fox-12’s Better , FM 105.1’s Nelson&Terry Show ) handed over her driver’s license to Williams in lieu of a business card. “I was out of my cards,” Camarata told Scoop. The weird thing is Williams never gave it back . Hmmm...movie stars really are different from us.

LAZARUS ON THE HALF-SHELL: The Alberta Street Oyster Bar and Grill shall rise again. After the high-end eatery shut its doors last month, Bruce and Kathy Kaad, who own Portland’s Melody Ballroom, stepped in. The Oyster’s resurrection has taken longer than Jesus’ three days, but he didn’t have to deal with the OLCC. When a pending temporary liquor license comes through, the Oyster Bar will ascend, with original chef Eric Berchard and “all the staff that could hang on through the interminable bureaucratic process” of transferring ownership, says Bruce Kaad. “We’re planning to open it up exactly as it was.”

BRISKET IN BED: Scuttlebutt says just-opened Jewish deli Kenny&Zuke’s (1038 SW Stark St., 222-3354) is planning to join soon with blockmate Clyde Common to provide room service for the adjoining Ace Hotel. That’s been hinted at before, but the new gossip is, K&Z may also do room service for the Mark Spencer Hotel , across Southwest 11th Avenue from the deli. “That looks likely,” says co-owner Nick Zukin, whose week-old restaurant is already one of the busiest in PDX—despite the fact the deli had to close early Friday, Oct. 19, after running out of pastrami at 3 pm. Not bad for a soft opening.

PIMP MY DISCO HAT: Despite an appearance by Vanilla Ice, East Burnside’s Outlaws Bar&Grill has joined the list of venues that have failed to succeed at the massive, ex-Viscount, ex-Bossanova Ballroom space at 722 E Burnside St. An email from owner Philip Ragaway claims the metal-, hip-hop- and country-leaning bar and music venue has shut its doors because things “just didn’t work out.” The silver lining is, he ended his message with a link to an eBay page featuring Outlaws’ best contribution to Portland: a “Super Pimp Extra Large Disco Ball Cowboy Hat that spins both ways. ” There’s a freaking YouTube video of the hat—which has a 57-inch brim span—in action, and it was going for only a buck (!) at press time. You’ve got till Sunday, Oct. 28, to make your move, people.